Touch screen panel and fabricating method thereof

Abstract

A fabricating method of a touch screen panel, a transparent electrode layer and an insulating layer which are sequentially formed on a same surface of a transparent substrate. The transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer are co-patterned using a halftone mask to form a plurality of first sensing patterns connected along a first direction, a plurality of second sensing patterns having separated patterns between the first sensing patterns, and the insulating layer positioned on the first and second sensing patterns to expose regions of the second sensing patterns. A conductive layer is formed on the transparent substrate on which the first and second sensing patterns and the insulating layer are formed. The conductive layer is patterned to form second connection patterns allowing the second sensing patterns to be connected along a second direction through the exposed regions of the second sensing patterns.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fabricating method of a touch screen panel, comprising:
 sequentially forming a transparent electrode layer and an insulating layer on a same surface of a transparent substrate; 
 co-patterning the transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer using a halftone mask, to form a plurality of first sensing patterns connected along a first direction, a plurality of second sensing patterns having separated patterns between the first sensing patterns, and the insulating layer positioned on the first and second sensing patterns to expose regions of the second sensing patterns; 
 forming a conductive layer on the transparent substrate on which the first and second sensing patterns and the insulating layer are formed; and 
 patterning the conductive layer to form second connection patterns allowing the second sensing patterns to be connected along a second direction through the exposed regions of the second sensing patterns. 
 
     
     
       2. The fabricating method according to  claim 1 , wherein the co-patterning of the transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer using the halftone mask comprises:
 forming a photoresist having a first height and a second height lower than the first height on the insulating layer using the halftone mask; 
 removing the transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer formed at regions not below the photoresist through an etching process; 
 removing the photoresist having the second height and the insulating layer beneath the photoresist through ashing and etching processes to expose the exposed regions of the second sensing patterns; and 
 removing the photoresist that remains on the insulating layer through an ashing process. 
 
     
     
       3. The fabricating method according to  claim 2 , wherein the removing of the transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer, formed at the other regions except the lower portion of the photoresist, through the etching process comprises removing the insulating layer through a dry etching process and then removing the transparent electrode layer through a wet etching process,
 wherein the transparent electrode layer is over-etched so that the side of the transparent electrode layer is positioned further inward than that of the insulating layer. 
 
     
     
       4. The fabricating method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the co-patterning of the transparent electrode layer and the insulating layer using the halftone mask, the first connection patterns allowing the first sensing patterns to be connected along the first direction are integrally formed with the first sensing patterns. 
     
     
       5. The fabricating method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the patterning of the conductive layer, position detecting lines connecting the first and second sensing patterns to an external drive circuit are simultaneously formed with the second connection patterns. 
     
     
       6. A touch screen panel comprising:
 a transparent substrate; 
 first sensing patterns formed on a surface of the transparent substrate by patterning them to be connected along a first direction by first connection patterns; 
 second sensing patterns patterned to have separated patterns and disposed between the first sensing patterns; 
 an insulating layer formed on the first and second sensing patterns and the first connection patterns such that the first and second sensing patterns are between the insulating layer and the transparent substrate, the insulating layer exposing regions of the second sensing patterns; and 
 second connection patterns formed on the insulating layer and having a portion contacting the substrate, the second connection patterns allowing the second sensing patterns to be connected along a second direction through the exposed regions of the second sensing patterns, 
 wherein the first connection patterns are over-etched so that the side of the first connection patterns is positioned further inward than that of the insulating layer. 
 
     
     
       7. The touch screen panel according to  claim 6 , wherein the second connection patterns allow the second sensing patterns to be connected along the second direction through direct contact with the second sensing patterns. 
     
     
       8. The touch screen panel according to  claim 6 , further comprising position detecting lines connecting the first and second sensing patterns to an external drive circuit,
 wherein the position detecting lines are formed of the same material as the second connection patterns. 
 
     
     
       9. A touch screen panel having a transparent substrate, the touch screen panel comprising:
 first sensing patterns disposed on the transparent substrate and connected along a first direction by first connection patterns; 
 second sensing patterns disposed on the transparent substrate and connected along a second direction by second connection patterns; and 
 an insulating layer disposed on the first sensing patterns and the second sensing patterns and covering the first sensing patterns while exposing regions of the second sensing patterns, the first and second sensing patterns being between the insulating layer and the transparent substrate, 
 wherein the second connection patterns connect the second sensing patterns through the exposed regions and have a portion contacting the substrate. 
 
     
     
       10. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the first connection patterns are disposed below the insulating layer and the second connection patterns are disposed above the insulating layer. 
     
     
       11. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein sides of sections of the insulating layer disposed on the first sensing patterns extend past corresponding sides of the first sensing patterns. 
     
     
       12. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the second connection patterns allow the second sensing patterns to be connected along the second direction through their direct contact with the second sensing patterns. 
     
     
       13. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , further comprising position detecting lines connecting the first and second sensing patterns to an external drive circuit,
 wherein the position detecting lines are formed of the same material as the second connection patterns. 
 
     
     
       14. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. 
     
     
       15. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the first sensing patterns are integrally formed with the first connection patterns. 
     
     
       16. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the insulating layer is disposed between the first connection patterns and the second connection patterns. 
     
     
       17. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the first sensing patterns are formed to be separated from the second sensing patterns. 
     
     
       18. The touch screen panel of  claim 9 , wherein the first sensing patterns and the second sensing patterns are each formed in a diamond shape,
 wherein corners of the first sensing patterns are adjacent to each other in the first direction and corners of the second sensing patterns are adjacent to each other in the second direction, and 
 wherein columns of the first sensing patterns extending in the first direction intersect with rows of the second sensing patterns extending in the second direction.